LINE 6 DL4 Delay Modeler
The LINE 6 DL4 is a heavy pedal both literally and figuratively. Introduced in 1999, this was one of the very first digital eefects modelling units available. It is truly a legendary pedal. Regardless of its significant weight and size, the DL4 is still one of the most versatile and customizable delays you can buy. This versatility is only enhnced by the DL4’s rather complete and user friendly looper. With a staggering fifteen delay types and a loop sampler, the DL4 certainly is an instrument in and of itself. This timeless pedal is truly a wonderful piece of sonic technology that every pedal nerd should play with. But, because it is 3.1 pounds, putting on your board might be another story.
External Control: EXP
Cost: $$
HornFX Review
Interface: 3.5/5
The DL4 has a lot going on. Its four foot switches and six knobs are a lot to learn. In each delay engine, the knobs and foot switches might change function, and the text on the pedal and the informational stickers that come with the DL4 is small and hard to read on stage. This pedal is definitely one that must be learned. While the pedal is surely complex, it still manages to have am element of user friendliness. When taking into account the vastness of its sonic capabilities, the DL4’s controls do quite a good job in making that extensive sonic pallet accessible to the user.
Versatility: 4.5/5
The DL4 is one of the most versatile delay pedals on the market. Not only does it boast a huge range of delay engines and controls within each, but its looper is quite versatile on its own. With half speed and reverse functions, the looper gives you more than you bargained for as a secondary function of an already formidable delay pedal.
Tonal Reproduction: 4.5/5
Even though this delay machine represents the earliest stages of digital effect modelling pedals, its tonal reproduction is excellent. The extensive tweaking one can do to each delay type will allow the user to dial in exactly the sound they want to achieve..
Complexity: High
Live application: 4/5
The LINE 6 DL4 is a classic and timeless pedal, and it sounds just as amazing live as it does in a recorded setting. It has presents and an interface that, once you learn it, is quite good, even on a dark stage. However, it is considerably large and heavy. This pedal was designed before space on a pedal board was such a huge consideration. In today’s world of expensive baggage checking fees, small tour budgets, and a general need to downsize, this pedal may not fit in with the trends of pedal usage. But, if you have room on your board for a large, 3.1 pound pedal, the DL4 is a magnificent way to fill that space.
Audio Clips
User Reviews
Chase Jackson, Vibraphone - "I've used the DL4 for years in a variety of musical settings on multiple instruments and always loved how versatile it is and how many additional features it has in addition to simple delays and looping. There are tons of different modeled delays that have many adjustable parameters for each setting via the "tweak" and "twease" knobs. These can take a while to memorize what they each do, but great to be able to adjust on the fly.
The dynamic delay is great for "ducking" down your delay tails as you play, so that your lines retain clarity. The lo-fi and tape delays also add some great "analog" modulation and drive. My personal favorite is also the reverse delay which is extremely versatile and musical. Stereo functions sound amazing particularly the ping pong delay through a house system or 2 amps. Turning down the delay time all the way down and mix up creates a crazy ring modulation setting. Saving 3 dedicated presets with 1 tap switching to each is invaluable in a performance setting. The dedicated tap tempo is also crucial and very useful.
The looping mode is also really intuitive and there are some hidden features including the ability to reverse your loops, record in reverse, double or half time your loops or create stutter stop and start loops. A function to delete your last looped recording would be nice but it's not necessary.
My biggest critique of this pedal is the large footprint, but if different delays and looping is an important part of your sound, I highly recommend this pedal for your live setup.
Product Info
This is it, folks; the fabled “green box” that’s been igniting creativity, passion and sheer awe since Line 6 first released its digitally modeled marvels on the world in 2000. Containing 16 models based* on legendary echo and delay boxes from the storied Maestro® EP-1 Echoplex to the awesome T.C. Electronic® 2290, the DL4™ has in turn become a classic in its own right, as popular with guitarists as it is with singers, drummers, bassists, keyboardists, and anyone who wants a pure 24-bit true stereo signal path in the service of delays that run the gamut from gritty and psychedelic to pristine and heavenly.
You’d be insane to pack an original Roland® RE-101 Space Echo or Electro-Harmonix® Deluxe Memory Man into the back of your van for a club tour, but the DL4 packs models of those sounds and many more into a rugged, road-tested steel housing that can run for up to 30 hours on four “C” batteries or with the optional PX-2G power adaptor. Models of classic delay boxes—and the sweet choruses and vibratos that accompany many of them—are just the beginning; the DL4 also boasts innovative sounds like its “Auto-Volume Echo,” which combines a volume swell with a tweakable tape-style echo; or the outstanding “Reverse Delay,” which allows you to play stunning backwards guitar solos on the fly.
You also get those U2-style “Rhythmic Delays” in several metric flavors, super-cool “Ping-Pong Delay” effects, and outrageous stereo panned repeats. Look, if it ain’t in the DL4, it probably doesn’t exist... until you create it. What’s more, with its onboard 14-second looper, the DL4 is both the perfect practice tool and the ultimate creative canvas for crafting overdubs and creating textures, with its ½ speed and reverse modes ideal for sonic adventurers and arrangement-minded recordists alike.
Like all Line 6 stompbox Modelers, the DL4 boasts a simple and sturdy front panel design, with four footswitches for saving and recalling your sounds, and six knobs for selecting models and tweaking parameters, with distinct assignments for each knob depending on the delay model you’ve chosen. Paired with the optional EX-1 expression pedal, which lets you morph between two radically different settings for each of your sounds, the DL4 is truly the ultimate delay pedal, making the history of echo and delay available to your creative future.
Digital Effects - 16
Factory Presets - 18
User Programmable Channels - 3
Factory Presets - Effect Selector, Delay Time, Repeats, Tweak, Tweez, Mix
Additional Controls - Tap Tempo (included), EX-1 Expression Pedal (optional)
Mono/ Stereo - Stereo in, Stereo out (Loop Sampler sums signal to mono)
Chassis Color - Green
Dimensions - Length: 10-inches/25.4 cm; Width/Depth: 6-inches/15.24 cm; Height: 2.5-inches; Weight: 3.1 lbs
Product info from Line 6 Website